Michael Brunner of Ottawa, Illinois

Michael Brunner, also known as Sensei Michael Brunner is a Sōtō Zen teacher based in Ottawa, Illinois and the founder and guiding teacher of One River Zen.

In Ottawa, Illinois, Michael Brunner established One River Zen as a place where practice is not separate from everyday life. His teaching emphasizes direct experience, presence, and compassionate action within the conditions of ordinary life.

As a Zen priest in the Sōtō lineage, Michael Brunner carries forward a tradition rooted in zazen, ethical conduct, and the integration of awakening into daily activity. His work in Ottawa, Illinois includes daily meditation offerings, public talks, retreats, and community outreach initiatives.

Through One River Zen, Michael Brunner has developed programs that extend practice into the wider community, including service-based initiatives and spaces designed to support individuals and families. His teaching consistently returns to a simple point: that awakening is not elsewhere, but found within the life we are already living.

Michael Brunner continues to teach and practice in Ottawa, Illinois, guiding students in a form of Zen that is accessible, grounded, and fully engaged with the realities of contemporary life.

Learn more about:

• One River Zen

• About One River Zen

• Eternal Spring Order